Mass Effect 3 demo launches, spawns millions of Shepards

Gamers itching to try their hand at Mass Effect 3 finally have their chance with a new demo now available for the 360, PC, and PS3. The demo begins with an invasion of Earth by the Reapers and concludes with a single-player mission from later in the game. Players are also able to create a Commander Shepard for their trial run, tweaking name, gender, and appearance. Once those selections are made, plus some for background, the game will then prepare a brief history of this insta-Shepard so that newcomers and series vets alike are able to follow the events included in the demo.

For those wanting a tailored experience, the game offers three options to choose from: Action, for those wanting a combat-heavy adventure; Story, which favors conversation and interaction; and Role Playing, a mixture of Action and Story, for the traditionalists. The 360 version also supports full voice recognition functionality for Kinect.

The demo includes a portion of the multiplayer component as well. Players who activated their Battlefield 3 online pass will be able to access multiplayer today, while everyone else will have to wait until February 17.